Which method yields a numerical age for fossils rather than just their order?

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Study for the Florida Statewide Science Assessment (SSA) to enhance your academic skills. Prepare with interactive questions, in-depth explanations, and detailed study guides. Achieve success in your Florida science exam!

Multiple Choice

Which method yields a numerical age for fossils rather than just their order?

To determine a numerical age, scientists use absolute dating. This approach relies on measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes or other precise changes in rocks or fossils to calculate the actual number of years since formation. Relative dating, on the other hand, only orders events or fossils from oldest to youngest without giving a specific age. Fossils themselves aren’t a dating method; they’re the objects being dated. Examples of absolute dating include carbon-14 dating for relatively recent samples and uranium-lead or potassium-argon dating for much older rocks. So the method that yields a numerical age is absolute dating.

Which method yields a numerical age for fossils rather than just their order?

Study for the Florida Statewide Science Assessment (SSA) to enhance your academic skills. Prepare with interactive questions, in-depth explanations, and detailed study guides. Achieve success in your Florida science exam!

Which method yields a numerical age for fossils rather than just their order?

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